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New York to give Skaneateles $50,000 for fire hydrants that draw water from lake

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The town of Skaneateles has received $50,000 from the state to install hydrants that can draw water from the lake to supplement the municipal water system in emergencies. Firefighters gather at the scene of a chimney fire in 2011 at the Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles.
(Jim Commentucci / The Post-Standard)

Skaneateles, NY - The Town of Skaneateles will receive $50,000 from the state to install hydrants that firefighters can use in an emergency to suck water out of Skaneateles Lake.

The town was notified Thursday by state Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, that it had received a grant to install "dry" hydrants at Clift Park and Thayer Park. Dry hydrants are connected to a water source, such as a lake, rather than a municipal water system.

There are already fire hydrants in those parks that are hooked into the municipal water system, town Supervisor Mary Sennett said. Firefighters will use the dry hydrants to draw water directly from the lake when extra water is needed, she said.

The village of Skaneateles has many old wooden buildings in its downtown and the Skaneateles Fire Department has expressed concern that the municipal water system may not be able to supply enough water to douse a large fire there, Sennett said.

The nearby Mottville Fire Department will also be able to use the dry hydrants to draw water from the lake to fill tanker trucks to fight fires in rural areas where there are no other water sources, she said.

"It's really a benefit for the whole community," Sennett said.

The state senator's letter does not say which state agency is providing the funds for the project.

Contact Charley Hannagan by voice or text at 315-470-2161, by email, on Facebook at Neighbors West or on Twitter @charleypost.